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Periconceptional influences on offspring sex ratio and placental responses

Cheryl S Rosenfeld1

  • 1Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. rosenfeldc@missouri.edu

Reproduction, Fertility, and Development
|March 8, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Maternal diet impacts offspring sex ratio and placental gene expression. High-fat diets skew births toward males, while low-fat diets favor females, influencing fetal development.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive biology
  • Developmental biology
  • Nutritional science

Background:

  • Maternal diet profoundly affects fetal development, influencing offspring sex ratio and placental gene expression.
  • Dietary changes in utero can lead to developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) later in life, with males often at higher risk.
  • Previous studies show maternal diet can alter offspring sex ratio, but mechanisms and timing remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review evidence on how maternal diet influences offspring sex ratio across species, including humans.
  • To examine the timing of sex ratio skewing during pregnancy.
  • To investigate how fetal sex and maternal diet impact placental gene expression in mice.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on maternal diet and sex ratio determination.
  • Analysis of gene expression patterns in the placenta based on fetal sex and maternal diet.
  • Comparative examination across different species, including humans and mice.

Main Results:

  • Female mice on very-high-fat (VHF) diets produce more sons than those on low-fat (LF) diets, who produce more daughters.
  • Maternal diet significantly alters gene expression in the mouse placenta.
  • Fetal sex and maternal diet interact to influence placental adaptations.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal diet is a critical factor in determining offspring sex ratio and placental development.
  • Placental gene expression changes reflect adaptations to maternal nutritional status, potentially buffering the fetus.
  • Understanding these maternal-fetal interactions is crucial for addressing DOHaD and sex-specific health risks.

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